
NSW ContextNSW Community Services and Health ITAB is awaiting NSW industry advice for this sector. For details about Keep Them Safe, procedures and responsibilities of child protection services and mandatory reporters see the Child Protection section of this website.
|
CHC41308 Certificate IV in Children’s Contact Services Work
CHC51108 Diploma of Children’s Contact Services Work
Recognition
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is a significant pathway for candidates to attain a national training package qualification. There has been strong support from Commonwealth and NSW governments for RTOs to find innovative and accessible RPL strategies and approaches.
NSW Department of Education and Training is actively assisting this quest for improved RPL pathways and has worked in partnership across many industry sectors to pilot best practice models of recognition and develop supporting resources. Some of the innovation recognition pathways trialled included group, project and workplace based models.
Resources and further details are available at State Training Services
The Vocational Training Board establishes traineeships in NSW. Through a consultative process between peak industry groups, employers and unions, facilitated by the ITAB, qualifications are identified that meet industry requirements and have appropriate award arrangements. This information is submitted to the Board for the declaration of a vocational training order in accordance with NSW legislation.
As qualifications have a vocational training order established, they are posted on the NSW DET Commissioner’s Bulletin. Further advice is available from NSW DET www.training.nsw.gov.au
The Children's Contact Services Work qualifications in CHC08 Community Services Training Package have not been established as traineeships in NSW.
The Children's Contact Services Work qualifications in the CHC08 Community Services Training Package have not been identified as suitable for VET in Schools pathways.
For more information about VET in Schools in NSW visit: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/vetinschools/
The NSW Board of Studies is responsible for the inclusion of training package qualifications in the HSC studies. Further information is available at www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au .
Commission for Children and Young People
The Commission is an independent organisation that works with others to make NSW a better place for children and young people. The Commission reports directly to the NSW Parliament, and the Committee on Children and Young People oversees their work. The Commission administers the Commission for Children and Young People Act 1998.
NSW Human Services Community Services
The NSW Human Services Community Services (formerly DoCS) is the leading NSW Government agency responsible for community services. They work to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and to build stronger families and communities.
Aboriginal Child, Family and Community Care State Secretariat
The Aboriginal Child, Family & Community Care State Secretariat (NSW) is a Not-for-Profit incorporated community organisation. The organisation is primarily funded by the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS), and recognised as the peak NSW Aboriginal organisation to provide child protection and out-of-home care policy, issues for Aboriginal families involved in child protection and Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) services, and advice regarding funding decisions for child protection and Associate services.
Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA)
ACWA is the peak body in New South Wales with the objectives of representing non government child welfare agencies and improving the quality of services to vulnerable children and young people. ACWA has a particular concern to advocate for the rights and needs of those children and young people who need to live away from their families.
CREATE Foundation
CREATE Foundation connects and empowers children and young people in care and improves the care system through activities, programs, training and policy advice.
Foster Care Association (NSW)
The Foster Care Association (NSW) Inc. supports foster carers in New South Wales and promotes the value of foster caring.
National Disability Services (NSW)
National Disability Services (NSW) represents and provides services to a broad spectrum of non-government, non-profit groups assisting people, including children and young people, with all manner of disabilities.
Network of Community Activities
Network was founded in 1974 and acts as a link up for community activities and for Out of School Hours Care Services run by autonomous community groups and local councils. Network is committed to helping promote quality community based services for school aged children, including children with disabilities.
NSW Family Services Inc
NSW Family Services Inc represents over 184 family support services across NSW. Family services are local community organisations that use trained, caring staff to strengthen families and their links with their community.
Youth Action & Policy Association NSW (YAPA)
The Youth Action & Policy Association NSW (YAPA) is the peak community group working in the interests of young people and youth services in NSW.
NSW Health (Education Centre Against Violence)
Education Centre Against Violence (ECAV) is administered by Sydney West Area Health Service, NSW Health. ECAV is committed to enhancing the quality and accessibility of services to people whose lives have been affected by violence.
They provide state-wide specialised training, consultancy and resource development for NSW Health and interagency workers who provide services to children and adults who have experienced sexual assault, domestic/family violence and/or physical and emotional abuse and neglect. ECAV promotes understanding of cultural and community diversity through its courses, resources and advisory groups.
NSW Police
Whilst all police have a role in protection of children, clear areas of responsibility have been established for the investigation of child abuse matters. The Child Protection and Sex Crimes Squad was established to ensure the provision of a specialist child protection service across NSW. These services are offered in partnership with the Department of Community Services (DoCS) and the Department of Health.
NSW Department of Juvenile Justice
The NSW Department of Juvenile Justice supervises and cares for young offenders in the community and in detention centres. It provides youth justice conferences for young offenders referred by police or the courts.
NSW Ombudsman
The NSW Ombudsman is an independent and impartial watchdog. Their job is to make sure that the agencies they watch over fulfil their functions properly and improve their delivery of services to the public. They help agencies to be aware of their responsibilities to the public, to act reasonably and to comply with the law and best practice in administration.
The NSW Ombudsman has published guidelines on workplace child protection issues and provides advice to young people who may feel unfairly treated by government or community services providers.
Attorney General's Department
The New South Wales Attorney General's Department is responsible for the administration of the NSW court system and legal services including human rights, crime prevention and the registration of births, deaths and marriages.
NSW Community Services and Health ITAB and NSW DET resources include:
![]() |
Policy@MyPlace This free online short course is for those who need to develop or review policy. It will provide learning to develop the necessary skills to research and consult policy needs, draft policy content, test the draft policy, implement policy and review policy for quality assurance. This learning is designed to assist in the development of policies for NGO workplaces. While it focuses on child protection policy development and incorporates objectives and requirements detailed in the NSW Keep Them Safe initiative the learning may be applied to any area of policy development in community services work.
There is no time limit to this resource so you are able to work through the learning at your own pace and select topics as many times as you like. The resource contains activities that you may complete as an e-portfolio for assessment by a registered training organisation to achieve the national unit of competency CHCPOL504B Develop and implement a policy. Available now at www.workplaceskills.com.au |
NSW Community Services and Health ITAB resources include:
|
Child Protection Vignettes This DVD contains various scenarios that are used as triggers in the training to assist participants to identify the short and long term impact of child abuse and neglect. Details and order form available at: www.csh-itab.com.au |
Other resources:
![]() |
The Keep Them Safe website provides information for mandatory reporters in government agencies and non-government organisations about the new child protection system, including resources, training materials, and an email newsletter. |
Please contact NSW Community Services and Health ITAB regarding training and assessment resource needs for the qualifications or skills sets in this industry sector.
Other resources may be available from industry peaks, Registered Training Organisations and Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council.